Drop Bags: There is only one location for staging drop bags...at the Main Aid Station (which is the start/finish area).  There will be a row of long tables set-up to put your drop bag on, and you will pass these tables on your way to the aid area of the Main Aid station.  It is a very convenient location, so you won't be held-up looking for your bag.  Special Note: Please take your schtuff home!  While I am very good at preparing for, and race-directing races, I really suck at getting heavy, mud & sweat-soaked crap back to its rightful owner(s).  Any drop bags left at the race will probably be donated to "broke-as-heck" local trail-runners.  They thank-you in advance!

Dropping-down (or up) to another Distance:  You can change your distance before the race (and up to February 7th), by emailing Bad Ben.  If you want to bump-up to the 50K, you can work out a deal with Ben.  And during the race, if you've bit-off more than you can chew, you can always drop down a loop (or two), and still get a finisher's medal (appropriate to the new distance).

Dropping-out of the Race: Please personally let Bad Ben or our timing person know, if you're dropping out of the race.  We don't want to muster a search party for you!

Post Race Food:  There will be hearty soup waiting for you for after the event, along with some pie and stuff to drink (Starbucks coffee and maybe some hot chocolate).  There will be homemade vegan soup offered, as well.

Shoes...should I wear trail-running shoes?  In a word: YES.  Because of the rocky terrain and various course oddities, Bad Ben highly recommends the Mizuno Wave Cabrakan shoe, for this course.  It has full wave-rock-plate protection, is low-profile, and has great traction.  And there are other trail-running shoes (like the Ascend) that might work for you, also.  Garry Gribble's store (where packet pickup will be located) will have the Cabrakans, along with many various trail shoes in stock.  If you choose to run in "normal" roadrunning shoes, please be careful!  Screwing Shoes: If it is really icy & slick on race day, you may want to screw your shoes.  Here's how you do it.

Eating During the Race:  If you want to finish this hilly race without bonking bigtime, you should fuel your body during the race. Our aid stations will be well-stocked with different kinds of carb-filled goodies and a few salty foods, too, along with offering water & SUCCEED brand sports drink. Many non-ultra-runners would never think of eating "real food," during a race.  Now is the time to try-out this concept.  For GU Fanatics: there will be a limited amount of gels available at the Main Aid Station, only.  If you need gels elsewhere along the course, please buy and carry your own with you.  And Ten-Milers...please leave the gels for the multi-loop runners!

Course Marking:   This is not a road race, so there won't be folks standing on some street corner pointing and saying: "this-a-way." But our Trail Nerd races are very-well marked, as far as trail races go.  The course route will be marked with pink flags and signs that say, "Straight Ahead, Right Turn, Left Turn, and Wrong Way."  There will be very few "mileage" signs on the course.  If you're an anal mileage person, please buy local...purchase and use a Garmin product.  And you can cuss at it, while being freaked-out for only moving at a 12-minute/mile pace through the hills.

Time Limit: On the multiple-loop course, you will not be allowed to leave the start/finish Main Aid station to start your final loop after 1:59 p.m.  There will be an additional time limit for reaching the middle aid station: If you arrive after 3:45 p.m. at that station, you will be driven back to the finish area.  It gets dark early, in February...the safety of our runners is the main reason for these rules.  Thank you for your understanding.